Are you thinking what I am thinking- What am I going to do with my kids all summer?

Bring on the summer days and no more school at home!

Whew!! We did it! Did you think it was never going to end? I am so thrilled we finished quarantine school!

While we may not yet be done with quarantine, we at least can create some resemblance of a summer break and plan for fun.

Although this summer will definitely look different than normal, I know that it will be one for the memory books!

2024 Summer Activities at Home List

Summer Printable Packet

I have created a Summer Printable Packet back out to help create a routine, a bucket list, and a schedule for the summer. Definitely wishful thinking, but it one thing that really helped us doing quarantine was having a schedule.

This summer we are adding non-traveling things to our bucket list. Like, Build an epic fort, Take some FUN classes, Maybe have some themed “camp weeks”. Don’t forget about Chores App For kids to Earn Money

We are still using to the  BusyKid App, which allows kids to complete Chores App For kids to Earn Money. BusyKid is the chore app where kids can earn, save, share, spend and invest real allowance. There’s NO SUBSCRIPTION FEE* to use BusyKid but plenty of features to help your kids build a strong financial routine.

Outschool.com – Thee mission is to inspire kids to love learning. They provide small group classes that meet over live video chat where learners are connected with teachers and classmates who share their interests. These classes are offered through their marketplace and conducted on our remote learning platform. There are SO MANY other non-academic options on the website. You can click here to create a new account and receive a $20 credit on your first class. AND teachers can earn extra cash by teaching classes online, click here to create a teacher account. Teach online and earn up to $40 USD per hour taught.

Internet Safety Reminders for Summer Break

A few years ago, I shared with you some Internet Safety Reminders During School Closures and wanted to remind you of the Bark app.  It’s an absolute must for busy parents who are interested in knowing when and if their children come across something that could possibly cause a problem online. Bark app allows you to monitor over 30 platforms from text messages to social media channels. When Bark detects an issue, you get an automatic alert via email and even includes expert recommendations to make it easy for parents to talk to kids about digital dangers and other sensitive online issues. It did take me some time to set up for my three children, but it’s already been worth the time. Bark app costs $50-100 annually depending on the level of functionality desired, for younger children it’s a monthly charge of $5 and can go up to $14 depending on your desired tools. You can also check out the special code below for readers to save 20% for annual subscription. Check out one of the alerts that was sent to my email last night due to profanity in a youtube video that my 13 year old was watching. Not only did it give me the alert, but look below for some of the expert advice to how I should talk to Lucas about the profanity.

SPECIAL PRICING – SIGN UP NOW FOR A FREE ONE-WEEK TRIAL OF BARK AND 20% OFF BARK FOR LIFE USING CODE 5X7FJ6N AT CHECKOUT.

Summer Reading

Amazon’s Kids Book Box Subscription – sign up for something fun and engaging to read this summer. Plus, it’s always fun for kids to get a box in the mail with their name on it. Check out the different age and box options here.

Online Summer Resources

Comic Book Websites

1. https://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-creator (this only allows you to create 2 free), try to draw outyour comic on a paper before going online.
2. https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
3. For chrome books and tablets -https://toontastic.withgoogle.com/
4. Scholastic has some great resources on comic building -https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/creating-comics-online.html
5. Pixton has a free trial https://www.pixton.com/

Internet Safety Websites

Students can visit https://www.netsmartzkids.org/ to watch some videos and play games dealing withInternet Safety.

Lemonade Stand – Financial Literacy

iPad —-> https://www.hoodamath.com/games/lemonadestand.html

Desktop (this is what we use in school —> https://omsi.edu/exhibitions/moneyville/activities.php#getreal

Banzai Program sponsored by Penn East Federal Credit Union

Banzai is free, online financial literacy for students of all ages. It’s interactive and fun. Over 60,000 math, business, family and consumer science, and computer teachers have joined the program nationwide. Banzai focuses on building credit, borrowing, budgeting, spending, setting goals. This is a wonderful program that I have been using for years in my classroom with students in grades 4-6. They start by learning the important terms and with limited choices, but continue through the program to make decisions about saving for future.

Head over to the Banzai website and use code 8DEXBC to join as a student. More ideas to teach kids financial literacy.